Associate Professor Shen Chen

Career Summary

Biography

I received my undergraduate teacher education in Nanjing Normal University (1977) in China and was awarded a research degree of Ph.D in La Trobe University (1990), Australia. My teaching career has lasted for more than thirty years, working in a secondary school and a teacher training university in China before teaching in an Australian secondary school and lecturing in a number of Australian universities (Melbourne, Deakin and Newcastle). Since 1993, I have been working in the University of Newcastle. In 1998, I was invited to do research and teach at U.C. Berkeley, USA. In the same year I was invited as a visiting professor to teach in the summer school at UBC, Canada as well as a visiting professor at the University of Hong Kong. In 1999, I was awarded Honorary Professor in the College of International Education at Nanjing Normal University, China for the contribution to international exchange and collaborative research. In 2002, I was awarded a visiting fellowship at University of Cambridge. After a year, I was awarded Life Member of Clare Hall at University of Cambridge, UK. In addition, I was a visiting professor at Nanjing University (2006) and Beijing Language and Culture University (2009) in China. In the last two decades, I have published numerous journal articles and conference papers in the field of language education and international education. My four research books are (1) The Teaching of Cultures in Foreign Language Education (2) Research on strategies for Teaching Culture and Language (3) Studying overseas and (4) Learning Strategies in a Multicultural Environment. In addition, my Chinese book A Reflection of International Education has also attracted thousands of readers in China. My major contribution has been in the research of teaching Languages other than English, ESL/EFL and international education. I have won an International Teaching Fellowship Award from Victoria Government and an Award for Excellence in Teaching from the University of Newcastle. My international profile and the recognition of my work as a researcher, scholar and teacher have attracted a large number of undergraduate and postgraduate students from overseas, particularly from Asia. Research students who have successfully completed their Ph.D theses under my supervision are now outstanding university academics in Australia, China, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, PNG and other Asian countries.

Teaching ExpertiseTeaching English as a Second/Foreign Languages Teaching Chinese as a Second/Foreign Language TESOL/LOTE Curriculum and Methodology English for Special Purposes Assessment and Evaluation Intercultural communication.

Chen S, Wa Sit H, 'A comparative study of the responses by international students towards the teaching strategies used in an Australian university', The International Journal of Learning, 16 495-504 (2009) [C1]

Citations

Scopus - 2

2008

Chen S, 'Chinese research students' adjustment to the Australian learning environment', The International Journal of Learning, 15 43-50 (2008) [C1]

Zhang Y, Chen S, 'Initial teacher education of Chinese as a second language teachers in Australian universities', Abstracts of the 2nd Combined Conference of the Applied Linguistics Association of Australia (ALAA) and Applied Linguistics Association of New Zealand (ALANZ), Canberra, ACT (2011) [E3]

Chen S, 'East, west, which is the best? The adjustment of international students to teaching strategies in host universities', XIV World Congress of Comparative Education Societies, Istanbul, Turkey (2010) [E2]

2010

Holbrook AP, Chen S, Bourke SF, Holmes KA, Butler K, ''I can tell that English is not your first language'. Examiner comments and recommendations on the theses of students with ESL', 9th Quality in Postgraduate Research : Educating Researchers for the 21st Century, Proceedings of the 2010 Quality in Postgraduate Research Conference, Adelaide (2010) [E3]

Chen S, 'A comparative study of the responses by international students towards the teaching strategies used in an Australian university', 16th International Conference on Learning: Sessions, Barcelona, Spain (2009) [E3]

Chen S, 'Training teachers of Chinese as a second language in multicultural setting', The International Research Symposium on Chinese Language Education in Multi-cultural Environment: Abstracts, Zhuhai, China (2008) [E3]

Chen S, 'Cultural features in academic writing by students with a background of Chinese cultural heritage', Making a Difference: Challenges for Applied Linguistics, University of Wollongong, NSW (2007) [E3]

Wang J, Chen S, 'Collaboration and confrontation: A longitudinal study on an exchange program of an Australian University with Chinese partners', International Co-operation through Education. Proceedings of the 35th Annual Conference, Auckland, New Zealand (2007) [E1]

An Investigation of the Motivation of Male and Female Vietnamese University Students to Learn English in the Light of the Expectancy-Value Model of Academic Motivation.Curriculum & Education Studies, Faculty of Education and ArtsCo-Supervisor

2011

Communication Strategies in the High-Context and High Power Distance Culture of the Philippines: A Classroom InvestigationCurriculum & Education Studies, Faculty of Education and ArtsPrincipal Supervisor

Investigating a Computer-Assisted Language Learning Approach for the Development of Second Language Word Recognition from SpeechCurriculum & Education Studies, Faculty of Education and ArtsCo-Supervisor

Past Supervision

Year

Research Title / Program / Supervisor Type

2014

A Study of the Certification of EFL Teachers in Central Kalimantan, IndonesiaCurriculum & Education Studies, Faculty of Education and ArtsPrincipal Supervisor

2014

The Preparation of Chinese Language Teachers in the Global Context: A Vertical Case Study of an Australian ApproachCurriculum & Education Studies, Faculty of Education and ArtsPrincipal Supervisor